The Book Shelf

Huzzah!!  I've completed my 50 books in two years goal!  (*The Bible = the only one I have not totally finished reading in 2017-2018, but I'm up-to-date with my reading plan and should complete it by the end of this year.)

For anyone who cares, below = my brief thoughts or review for each book, in alphabetical order:

1. 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You -- Well-researched book on the way our smart phones have affected our daily lives and our world, for better and for worse.
2. A Grief Observed -- The best book on grief I've ever read - the brilliant C.S. Lewis sharing his own personal experience after the loss of his wife. One of his shorter books, but worth reading! (Quotes here.)
3. Adamant -- Lisa Bevere encouraging believers to stand adamantly for the truth of the Word of God, regardless of cultural shifts.  Solid Scriptural principles and content!
4. Adventures in Alaska -- Fun kids book I read to Jaceman, where Jace and Brownie the Bear had fun times in Alaska! lol  I recommend Mumablue and their personalized books.
5. All Things New -- John Eldredge writing about the coming Kingdom of Christ and how we can get better at setting our ultimate hope in that promise! (Quotes and full review here.)
6. Dancing Through Life -- Candace Cameron Bure recounting her experience on Dancing With the Stars and staying true to her faith in the process.  I like her, but don't like DWTS enough to care much about all the details.
7. Every Bitter Thing is Sweet -- My book club book with Elizabeth, Kelly, Monica, and Lindsay!  A good read about how God can bring beauty out of the most difficult seasons of our lives.
8. Friendships Don’t Just Happen -- Really well-researched and interesting book about forming and maintaining solid friendships!  (Quotes here.)
9. George Washington -- A short biography of our first president, who was Godly and brilliant and humble, and who strongly prioritized unity at the time when we needed it most.
10. Girl, Wash Your Face --  Rachel Hollis encouraging Christian women to be resilient, to get up and try again and be fiesty and fierce and unwilling to be defeated by setbacks!  Really good!
11. Good Wives -- The sequel to Little Women, so naturally, I'm a fan. Louisa May Alcott writes brilliantly and makes you want to be a better person!
12. Grace, Not Perfection -- Emily Ley's book encouraging overworked women to have more grace for themselves and do a few things well rather than trying to do everything. Good, but not super applicable to my life, as I'm not overworked or overstressed in that way.
13. Harry Potter 1 -- (Sorcerer's Stone) The brilliance of JK Rowling will never cease to amaze me. And I don't think I'll ever get through this book without tearing up multiple times at the sweetness of the beginning of the friendships of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. And the end of the first chapter. ❤All the tears.
14. Harry Potter 3 -- (Prizoner of Azkaban) The entire story is so expertly woven together, and the scene in the shack at the end is just epic - the fear, anger, joy, etc. are intense. Highly recommend these audio books read by the talented Jim Dale!!
15. Harry Potter 5 --  (Order of the Phoenix) My favorite book in this series - I love all the odd-numbered books, apparently!  The spiritual warfare metaphors in this book are crystal clear, and it inspires you to keep fighting for what is right and good and true, even when you may feel alone or overwhelmed by loss.
16. Hello, My Name Is ___ -- My missionary friend, Michael Wilson, wrote this e-book about overcoming the labels the world puts on us and finding our identity in Christ, and I loved that he mentioned Jeffrey Edward and the major influence he's had on his life!
17. Holy Bible -- I'm not going to attempt to "review" this one, but I will say I'm very happy with my decision to read the physical book this year rather than using my phone app or listening to it. And I love the way God can speak and show you something brand new in passages you've read several times!
18. How’s Your Soul -- Judah Smith writing to encourage believers to dive a little deeper and take better care of their souls through rest, relationships, restraint, and responsibility. I liked this one, but I always like this type of book!
19. Little Men -- Following the story of Jo as she and her husband run a school and raise boys to become good men... another well-written and inspiring Louisa May Alcott book!
20. Little Women -- One of my favorites - this and the Harry Potter books are the only fictional stories I want to read again and again. Their personalities and character flaws and strengths are so well written, and I love the way each sister strives to improve and grow and mature. It's sweet and simple, heartwarming and challenging.
21. Love Does -- Bob Goff's book about how we need to put love into action, not just say the words. He mentioned a practical joke he played on a friend that I didn't find funny at all, but other than that, I liked the book, and I'm a fan of him!
22. Made to Crave -- Lysa TerKeurst writing about food addiction and specific ways to pray and work to turn our cravings for food into a craving for more of God's presence. (Sadlly, the girl who read this audiobook (not the author) was crazy-annoying, so I may need to buy the real book to actually get something significant out of it!)
23. Make It Happen -- I'm a fan of Lara Casey, and this book is great for anyone who has a very specific dream they're pursuing.  For people like me who are trying to figure out the best dream to focus on, it's not particularly helpful.
24. Man’s Search for Meaning -- Holocaust survivor and psychologist Viktor Frankl tells his own story and talks about how we can find meaning and hope in the midst of great tragedy. Not an easy one, but very worth reading.
25. More Than a Manager -- My friend, Elizabeth Wiegner, wrote this e-book about virtual management. Doesn't apply for my job, but it's great content for team leaders, and I'm impressed and proud of her for writing it!
26. No Greater Love -- Mother Teresa's book - I was curious to learn more about her life and story, and this was really good in some ways and really sad in others... She is dearly loved and did a wonderful job of loving other people, but her end goal was to achieve salvation through her own works, and that's not something any of us can accomplish. #onlyJesus
27. Nobody’s Cuter Than You -- Melanie Shankle's autobiographical stories about her closest friendships.  I listened to this one as an audiobook.  She has a fun accent, and the stories were mostly fun and heartwarming. Parts of it made me miss having a trusted best friend, which was a little sad.
28. Of Mess and Moxie -- Jen Hatmaker can be fantastic and relatable and funny and sassy, and there's a lot of good stuff here about being resilient through the messy parts of life. Still, I can't recommend her at this point because she's decided she's smarter than God and has deemed certain sins "holy." =(
29. Opening Up by Writing it Down -- So good. It's a lot of psychology and research, but the gist is that holding on to secrets or secret feelings can be very detrimental to our health, and using expressive writing as a safe outlet can have amazing healing effects!
30. Party of One -- Joy Beth Smith's book about Christian singleness - the irritating things people say, the hard emotions, the good things to be found in it, and the fact that God does not promise us a spouse. I find her very likable and thought this was really good!
31. Peace with God -- Billy Graham's book about the importance of repentance and salvation. Soooo fantastic and anointed. Highly recommend! (Quotes here.)
32. Present Over Perfect -- Shauna Niequist writing about the importance of living in the moment, loving people well, and focusing on being present and engaged with them rather than trying to make everything perfect. Great read for perfectionists!
33. Seriously… I’m Kidding -- Random choice of audiobook by Ellen - surprisingly unfunny. =(
34. Seven Women -- Short biographies of seven Christian women who changed the world. Not sure if it was his writing style or what, but I didn't love it.
35. Ten Little Princesses -- A precious children's book I read to the Miss K! lol  I also got to make up princess names for the girls in every picture. "Who's she?  And who's this one!?" lol
36. The Attributes of God, V. 2 -- Another great book by A.W. Tozer, each chapter focusing in on one specific character quality of God in great detail. Well written, insightful, and draws you closer to God!
37. The Dream of You -- Jo Saxton (she has a really fun accent!) writing about finding the confidence to live out our dreams. Again, it would help if I had something real specific I was picturing for that.
38. The Explicit Gospel -- Another audiobook that should've been read by the author!!  Matt Chandler's passion did not come across with random reader guy, and I kept trying to resay it in Matt's voice. The content, of course, was great and full of challenging Biblical truth!
39. The Happiness Project -- Gretchen Rubin writing about spending a year trying several new things with the goal of becoming a happier person. The main thing I got from this book was the idea of coming up with 12 Personal Commandments that you want to live by.
40. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up -- Unintentionally hilarious because the author literally believes that socks and books and such have feelings - I laughed pretty hard at some of what she said. But her KonMari method of cleaning up made sense, and I'm about halfway through the checklist. =)
41. The Magnolia Story -- Chip and Joanna Gaines telling the story of their relationship, family, work lives, HGTV show, etc. Chip is funny, but he's a hot mess, and I was impressed with Joanna's patience and kindness in several of the stories!
42. The Purpose of Man -- A.W. Tozer writing about how we were created to worship and glorify God... but writing it in a way that really makes it come alive!
43. The Screwtape Letters -- C.S. Lewis is so creative. This is a demon mentoring another demon in how to torment the person he's been assigned to. Over the course of the book, the man becomes a Christian. There are several eye-opening letters about the strategies of Satan and how he works to tempt and distract and dishearten and disable us.
44. Through the Eyes of Lion -- Wonderful book by Pastor Levi Lusko following the death of his young daughter. About holding on to God through the journey of grief, and about seeing life from a new perspective.
45. Unashamed -- Christine Caine's awesome book encouraging believers to let go of past shame and guilt and receive the forgiveness and love and hope God offers us!
46. Uninvited -- One of my favorites on this list. Lysa TerKeurst writing about rejection and how to get through it with God's help, including a chapter on friendship breakups and a lot of great writing on forgiveness.
47. Waking the Dead -- Reread this -- one of my favorite John Eldredge books, especially helpful to Christians who are feeling disheartened and needing eyes to see the spiritual warfare surrounding them, to fight for life and find a fresh start in Christ!
48. Without Rival -- A lifegroup study book by Lisa Bevere about women being loved uniquely and individually and without rival by the God who created us!
49. Yes, Please! -- Amy Poehler's autobiographical book. Somewhat crude, somewhat funny. 
50. You are a Badass -- Completely ridiculous book by Jen Sincero. I thought it might be fun and good for building confidence and resilience, but our core beliefs about life are not at all aligned, so I just rolled my eyes at most of her advice.

Steadfast Love

I'm sooo thankful for God's goodness and for His patience with me!! ❤

I read something recently about how INFJs (my personality type) really struggle with making decisions because our strength is seeing things from every possible angle, so we go round and round in circles about what would really be best.  I laughed out loud because it's painfully true.  It's likely why I've been drawn to extra-decisive driver personalities in the past, because it's a struggle to be fully confident that I am making the right call without specific, repeated input from trusted and safe friends.  Trusted and safe being key there, which often presents another problem for me...  I have a lot of wonderful friends and family members who love me well, but with pretty much every person in my life, there are certain walls and limits and subjects that I feel I can and cannot discuss.  It's my past and my own inner defense system kicking in hard and reminding me to be verrrry careful who I trust and who I turn to, and it can all be very tiring.  I understand that communication and vulnerability and feeling supported are important, and I do want to improve in my ability to discern and trust and be open with the right people.

But in the meantime, in the midst of some recent confusion and sadness, it dawned on me that there is still one friend I can truly talk to about anything, that I can count on for wise advice, that I can always trust to have my best interest at heart without ulterior motives, that I can confide in without fear of gossip or slander, that I can cry with and know He is strong when I am weak.  Having one person who reeeeally knows me and still reeeally loves me is always the goal, and it must be frustrating to God how often I seek it outside of Him and forget that He is offering me just that. He is faithful and patient and unchanging, and He will never abandon me or cast me aside. It was such a relief to remember that I can cry on His shoulder and wait for Him to comfort and to lead me, not panicking or rushing into things until I'm sure He has spoken.  I can live in the light and think clearly, protected by faith and love, and confident in my Savior! (I Thessalonians 5:8)  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His steadfast love endures forever!  Steadfast = resolutely firm and unwavering; immovable; firmly loyal or constant; not subject to change. God's love perfectly fulfills that definition, and we should be bursting with gratitude for that!! =)

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

In other news, here is my newly decorated kitchen table area!  A polka-dot table runner will complete it.  I'm so loving the new valance and the corner tree with lights - makes me happy!! =)  

Also, I finally got a bedskirt one year later! lol  Yay!!

Shutterfly reminded me that my San Antonio trip with Rach was 10 years ago this month!  #funmemories #hurricanedolly

Yum - my single layer chocolate cake from last week! =)

How fun are mermaid sequins (reversible colors)!?  I didn't really know about them until Kyndal showed me the new lunchbox and backpack from her dad!  So perfect for her first year at CHA!  Love it!! =)

In TV land, I've been hanging out with the Crawleys and the Bartowskis lately. =)  #jeffsterforever lol

I also watched Something's Gotta Give lately - it's one of those movies I really love but can't explain why.  I'm a fan of Diane Keaton and I relate to her character here. lol

Final thought and reminder:

Happy Sunday, gang! ❤

Words of Wisdom Wednesday!

Gaaah, I'm seeing so much truth and feeling some conviction over both of the above quotes.  So many confused thoughts spinning around, but I'm gonna do us all a favor and save them for the journal instead of the public blog. lol  My thoughts and words can get messy when I'm feeling physically tired and run down -- the physical and emotional and spiritual stuff all goes together in a way that amazes me sometimes.  A really good nap or night of sleep can be so helpful for my emotions and general outlook, and not getting enough sleep can throw things way off balance.  When your internal world is messy, it's hard to sleep well, so it goes both ways (which is why I took a screenshot of this when I saw it on FB today).  Selfcare is important, and mini-breaks are good for us to sort out our thoughts and feelings sometimes! ❤

Anyway, I hope you're having a good week so far, and I hope you get some extra rest if you need it! ;-)

I'll end with this random pic from 3 years ago of the Miss K and her fountain ponytail at Chuck E. Cheese. What a presh! lol ❤

All the things...

Today = the first normal work day in the month of July!  Getting back in the swing of things will be strange.  (Judge took the first week off for vacation - including outdoor projects at his house, then was hospitalized most of the second week due to heat exhaustion and dehydration, then spent most of last week recovering and resting.  I'm thankful he is back and doing better now!)

Last week, I worked Monday and Tuesday with other Judges covering court.  Jail court with JSV was quite entertaining - there'll be a few quotables from that soon.  Wednesday and Thursday, we went to Amarillo,  and we got to have dinner with Mom's high school friend, Sandie, so that was fun!  I like hearing their Channing High stories! =)

J&K showing off their awesome abstract paintings. ;-)  The funny part is that you could absolutely hang these in an art gallery and pretentious people would start analyzing their hidden meanings. lolol  

She's just the cutest thing ever!  Her new favorite thing is to play the phone call game - calling me, Mom, Rach, JoBug, etc.  I wrote down the phone numbers for her this time, and it was one call after another, always cracking up laughing when someone answers! lol
Hello.
Hello!
Who is this?
Me!! (laughs)
Oh, Hi, Miss!  What are you doing?
Goood. =)

A brief phone break for Mom to paint her nails!

 She lost her Princess Poppy doll a few weeks back, then Mom found it in their vacuum closet.  'Twas a happy reunion! lol  #preshface

This = my new kitchen table + pink chairs + chevron rug!  A table runner will complete it, but it's pretty cute already!!

Another cute black-and-white themed pic! ❤  This is kind of a Kyndal-centric post, but she's adorable, so no one should mind. lol

Some Dr. Seuss words of wisdom:

And some Mother Teresa words of wisdom:

Keeping the black-white-pink-gray theme going, Rach painted this new coffee table for my living room, and I love it!! ❤

Kyndal Faith helped out with the silver leopard, and proudly told me about it! =)

LOVE.  It turned out super-cute, and I love that it's from Rach (and K-Faith)!

This is at Rach's house before I brought it home, but you can really see the arrows on the side here!

Ending with some great verses I've read lately! ❤

Mamma Mia!

Saw Mamma Mia - Here We Go Again tonight... cheesy and ridiculous in many ways, but also superfun because I love the music and I'm a fan of Lily James!!

I texted Rach last night to see if she still had the scrapbook (copy) I made for JMM back in the day.  It features some of Mom and I's best scrapbooking work, and I wanted to see the pics from the Yale & NYC trip with Josh and Holly Dei.  Turns out Rach did have it -- it had been at Mom and Dad's house, then got left there when they moved out and Rach moved in.  Her response text cracked me right up...

I have zero animosity or hard feelings at this point... other than mild annoyance with my former self's epic ridiculousness whilst in the love bubble, so it was pretty fun/entertaining to look back through these memories!

Ahh, the first day of the Yale hoodie! lol

I wish the pic of me on the swing at Yale wasn't so overexposed and crazy bright.  It was a cute swing, and I felt like Rory Gilmore being at Yale when Gilmore Girls was still running! =)

The Mamma Mia ticket is what I was after... we took a train to NYC and stayed there one night, and got to see our first broadway show, Mamma Mia!!  I already loved the music thanks to JoBug and Emily's Abba CDs.  I often have music going in my head and feel as if I'm floating through life in my own musical world, but never more so than that night. =)

We saw the play, which ended with Take a Chance On Me, then we ran to make it to the train on time.  While running through the brightly lit streets of NYC, the three of us talked about how great the play was, and we started singing that song - (the last song we had heard).  I knew and meant every word immediately, and Holly caught on quickly with those lyrics and got cracked up, but kept singing.  Josh was oblivious and singing along, and it was just a ridiculous, super-fun, real-life-musical moment!

I thought we were ever-so-precious in our scarves. lol  Also... I feel like Holly took a nap instead of coming with us on this ferry ride.  Either that or I had her take tons of pics of us and never included her in one, which is a possibility because I was completely ridic. 🤦

It was a fun side-trip from our Yale adventure, and belting out these lyrics with JMM and HDW as we ran to catch a train after Mamma Mia stands out as an entertaining highlight in my memory!

"You say that I waste my time, but I can't get you off my mind, no I can't let goooo 'cause I love you soooo!  If you change your mind, I'm the first in line. Honey I'm still free; take a chance on me!  If you need me, let me know - gonna be around - if you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down.  If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown, Honey, I'm still free - take a chance on me!  Gonna do my very best, and it ain't no lie, if you put me to the test, if you let me try!" lol

Also, looks like our heart-shaped hole punch was put to good use... gracious, subtlety was not my strong suit.

That remains my strong favorite in the Mamma Mia soundtrack, and I was sad it wasn't repeated in this second movie.  Anyway, that's all for tonight. Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

A Short Story...

Now presenting a short story recapping my 4th of July in 1992!  #merica

 "The End" is written in the fireworks, if you didn't catch that awesomeness. lol  

This = me wearing the patriotic dress I was attempting to draw.  (Rach had one, too, where the stars and stripes were switched.  We had a few outfits like that, where we were a matchy mismatch. lol)  

Anywho, this made me happy when I found it in the stack of stuff we went through from Babah.  I guess I've loved documenting things for a while now!  We can be thankful I'm no longer doing hand-drawn illustrations. lol

Chettles Quotables

In honor of his 30th birthday tomorrow, here are some of my favorite Chet Lee quotes (in random order)!  It's long, but all fun and worth reading. lol  

“I actually thought I was on to something with butter slices!  You know, like cheese slices?  Pancake, butter, pancake, butter… melt!”  ~Inventor Chettles

"I try to tell people how essential I am to a party, but no one seems to understand!"  

“Well, we better at least get to see Pippa!” ~Chet, discussing their Europe trip

“Who’s Pippa??” ~Kevin

“Seriously!?? She’s the latest rage!” ~Chet

"The Lord has blessed us with less than $10 each!"  (when I asked how the garage sale went that morning!) Hahaha

“Revelation this evening while at Wal-Mart: the most fertile people...shouldn't be.”

"And God, I just bless this food right now --- or actually, You should bless it, because You're awesome." =)

"Wow, sorry I sound so hateful!" -Sarah H.
"That's okay... Lindsey was hateful yesterday, and I've been hateful all week, so don't worry about it!" -Chettles

"What was up with Wille counting my cookies!?  So I had a six-pack; now I don't.  Get over it!" lol

"Wow!  ....youuuu could be a sex offender right now." (after hearing Jeff's airplane story)

Random text:  "PRAISE THE LORD FOR SUGAR AND CHOCOLATE!" 

"So who finally broke down and said the couch was uncomfortable?  Tiffany??"

Panera guy:  "Chet for President!"
Chet:  "Chet for President better make a Quotables!" =)

First thoughts on parenting after seeing baby Tate:  "They were cleaning him up, and I was just thinking, 'Whoa! We've gotta take this thing home!!" 

Kelly:  So would you rather always have to speak everything you're thinking OR never be able to speak again??

Chettles, pondering the question:  Hmm, I'd have no friends left to talk to, so I guess either one. LOL

"I'm just sad I won't be able to see you two as parents!"  ~Mindi, to Chet Lee
"It's... gonna be something!  Sometimes I feel scared about it, but here's the thing: If B.F. can keep one alive, then I can sleep soundly at night!"  ~Chet on parenting

"Have you been pretty successful with that!?" ~Kristin, on hearing that Chet was taking the year off sweets
"Oh, haven't lost a pound!" Chet's immediate response - lol

"Well, Season 3 made me question a lot of things, like: Was I gonna move on? ...My family is falling apart!"  ~on Downton Abbey

"Yeah, we're excited -- and terrified!" (finding out Karli was pregnant)

"Thanks so much for fixing my fence!!! Me and two girlfranz appreciate it! :)" ~Me
"You're welcome! Thanks for dinner and 4/5 of a movie. lol"  (the night my power went out and cut our Sister Act viewing short)

"Well, I got the thin crust because I'm trying to eat less carbs. Ha, yeah right. Karli asked me, 'Don't you need a plate?' and I was like, 'You know, I'm really gonna just take this whole box over to the couch!'"

"Seeee, everyone likes that song. You're singing every word!!" ~Me, happy to hear Chet singing along to P. Diddy's I'll Be Missing You
"There's a big difference between know and like!" ~Chettles

"Wait, what was the drama about? What happened!?" ~Chet to Evan, New Year's Eve 2016

"Hey, you just said No Drama 2017!" ~Me
"Well, I've got two more hours... Talk fast!" ~Chet =)

"I don't understand how people eat that stuff!"  ~Tara Lynn, on chocolate icing
"Well, gimme a spoon, and I'll show you!!"  ~Chet =)

Chettles:  "Lindsey, here's the thing - I'm gonna BOLD you: Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change! ...Oh, and come from contribution! What do you have to lose!?" :)

"Yeah the appraiser had to come over while I was at work yesterday." -Me

"He probably went straight for the fridge!!" -Evan, joking around

"Well... he'll be well hydrated!" -Chettles, mocking my lack of food in the house - lol

"But what if the fire changes direction!??"  -Me, feeling cautious as we sat down by the fire pit outside

"Umm, you'll catch on fire!  I mean, I'm not trying to be dark, but basically, you'll burn alive!!" -Chettles with all the mockery

Chet (cracking up when he saw these birthday candles had fallen over just minutes after Evan put them in):  "These candles are weird. Why are there wicks at both ends!?"
Jessica:  "No, the wax burned off down to there because the brownies had just come out of the oven!" lol

"Well, Mockey thinks this whole thing is gonna be a trainwreck!" ~Chet Lee to Karli
"Sooo not what I said!!" ~Me to Karli :)

"You can't only be involved with the good things, Mockey! Sometimes, you have to go down with the ship!!" ~Chettles, always compassionate and reassuring lol

"Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me 250 times, shame on me!!" ~Chettles, commenting on Jeff's personality
"It's funny 'cause it's true... or it's funny 'cause it's sad!" ~JEM

"Wait - why did I think this was a baseball movie!??" ~Chet's first time watching Pitch Perfect #yourewelcome

"All I know is there's a lot going on up there, but not a lot coming out down here." ~Chet, talking about how TK is a deep thinker but doesn't say much
"And you and I are the opposite!!" ~Jeffrey lol

"Are you headed to a funeral, Mockey!?" -Chet's greeting to me (referring to my super-cute black dress and sweater combo for my b-day dinner) Lol

"Then we went to Republic for your 27th." -JEM, going through all my past birthdays
"Oh, that was actually for Malori's birthday." -Me
"Yeah... tread lightly!" –Chettles

"'Does anyone have any ____ that I can borrow??'  Uhh, WalMart's got it!!"  -Chettles, venting about people using their Facebook status to get free stuff! Lol

"There's our personality coming out! We're basically the same person." ~Chettles, trying to annoy Sarah

"This oil is for stupidity, and you need three bottles of it. It's one of the toughest things to cure."  ~Chettles on essential oils (and people thinking they'll cure cancer)

"Then we'll end our trip with a fireworks show and a song about dreams coming true! ...I still can't remember the name of that song."  -Chet

"It's "When You Wish Upon a Star!"  What is wrong with you!?  Didn't you ever see Pinocchio as a child?" -Sarah

"He was too busy watching Juwanna Mann!" -Karli :)

"Iced Caramel Macchiato!! I'm having my first one when we get to the airport!"  -Chet

"Okay. Why are you announcing that to me?"  -Sarah

"Don't you like those?"  -Chet

"Yeah."  -Sarah

"Well, you're welcome for saving the moment for you!!"  -Chet

"Can you see Kyle?"  -Chet, on our flight

"Yeah, he's sitting next to a blonde woman."  -Me

"Wait, blonde or blind?"  -Chet lol

"This is the torture chamber!"  -Worker at the Shrek 3D show

"Yessss, it is!" -Chet Lee (annoyed about Jeff wanting to do that "ride" - lol)

"We'll remember these comments when inviting people for our next trip!!"  ~Chet Lee, when JEM and Sarah and I were not quite as jazzed about the light show and fireworks as he was

"I had dreams about Disney World last night!"  ~Chettles, randomly popping into our room to announce that

"Oh, fun!  What did you dream about it?" ~Me, while packing my suitcase

...(turn around to see that Chet's already gone) lol

"Yeah, Chet's started a business flipping houses with his friend.  It's called Threesacrowd, LLC!  Meanwhile, I'm gonna start Tableforone, LLC, and find something in my neighborhood to work with!"  ~JEM

"Oh, I'm sure there's some garbage over there somewhere."  ~Chet Lee

Chet skipped down my hallway imitating Jeff at the gym:
"What are those called? Lunges?" ~JEM
"Umm, that would be skipping." ~Chettles

"I so appreciate that you can see through fakeness."  ~Me to Chet
"You know, I may not have certain gifts..."  ~Chet Lee
"Oh, here we go!"  ~Sarah lol
"But I feel like God has given me discernment to know when people are being fake..." ~Chet
"Yeah, I think I have that too, but I don't blame it on God."  ~Sarah
"I don't think he was blaming Him - Chet thinks he's blessed!"  ~TK, laughing at Sarah's comment

"This is just nodes central!"  ~Chet, listening to Thirst by Phil Wickham

Bullets don't make bullet holes!!" ~JEM happily singing T-Swift as I was quietly shaking my head
"In fact, that's exactly what bullets do!"  ~Laura
"Is that not right?"  ~JEM
"No, but keep trying!" ~Chettles =)

"If I have to be injured, I can't think of a better way than taking a warm yeast roll to the face!"  ~Chet discussing the idiot that sued Lambert's for being hit by a roll

"I'm laughing in horror!"  ~Chettles after hearing my story about Babah getting hit by the car

You know, I really don't understand why people don't just stop smoking and eat more!?  ~Chet again :)

Your wisdom and maturity are rarely seen any more.  ~part of Chet's note to Laura
(He meant that those qualities are rare in today's world, but it definitely made us all laugh!)

"Were they expensive?"  ~Chet
"I think it was about 300 Swiss Francs."  ~Jeff
"Okaaaay, we're gonna stop that right now!"  ~Chet :)

"Oh, they're Mr. and Mr. Forgiveness over there."  ~Chet, on Jeff and Evan
"And you're Mr. One-and-Done."  ~JEM
"Yep.  'You just slashed my tires?  Aww.  You wanna come over and have some pizza?  I'll buy!'"  ~Chet imitating JEM lol

"Lawd Jesus, get that boy to church!!  That's just talent!  ...He has the potential for nodes if he keeps that up!" ~during another amazing ending note by Ryan Tedder lol

"The thing with those jeans is, no matter how wrinkly they are, when I put them on, they're like jeggings!!"  ~Chet again, cracking me up because I totally get it!

"See, Evan has this problem called Dad jeans. Jessica's been really open about it."  ~Chet, after insisting that Evan try on his jeans

"Karli and I are on a budget now, so I can clip my own toenails."  ~Chet, on why he's skipping the pedicures for a bit

"Never would I have thought a pair if my pants would've been the light at the end of the tunnel."  ~Chet, after the fashion show was a success! lol

"I have fibromyalgia.....and I also have a problem with lying!"  ~Chettles :)

"Well, I'm not as anti-hiking as Lindsey.  But if I was gonna do that or go do something else, I'd go do something else!"  ~one of my favorite Chet comments. lol  Anything else will do!!

"Ooooh, I need to stop eating cookies."  ~Chet, looking at a picture of himself

"I was telling this girl beside me who thinks I'm really funny.... then there's this girl beside her, and she is a dud and a half!"  ~Chet Lee, filling us in on his real estate classes :)

So you guys can keep these as little keepsakes to remind you to make a difference in my 25th year of life.  ~the end of Chet's speech :)

Chettles:  We'll have faux-mosas on Monday - it's just orange juice in a champagne glass! :)

Chettles:  Don't push me!!  Don't touch me!  Okay, this is not hiking; this is rock climbing! One false move and I could roll down this mountain, broken!  :)

Mom to her son:  Chet! 
Chet Lee:  Whaaat!? Who said that?? ...That's MY name! Oh my gosh, this is awesome! We have to get a picture!!  ...Do a thumbs up. :)

(Sidetrip to McDonalds)
Lauralai:  These are my people...  (pause) the homeless and the crazy.
Chet:  The longer we sat there, I was thinking, yeah, these are not my people.

Chet (pausing the movie for a random interjection): Hey, didn't Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid have twins in real life??
Me: Hmm, I don't know. I know they were married, but --
Jeff: No, they weren't! He was married to that girl who died in the skiing accident.
Laura: No, I think that was actually Liam Neeson -- how weird that that's the second time this week someone has mentioned her dying in the ski accident!
Chet: Pretty sure he married Meg Ryan. But I'm thinking they had twins?
Jeff: Nooo - oh, are you meaning Liam Neeson and Meg Ryan??
Chet: NO!
Me: Wait, so you're saying that he married Natasha Richardson?
Jeff: Yes. Dennis Quaid. I promise you. And yes, they did have twins!
Chet: Umm, that was Parent Trap.
....("Light bulb moment" pause)....
Jeff: That WAS Parent Trap! ......Never mind.
....(everyone cracking up)....
Laura: Dennis Quaid is Linday Lohan's dad - Whaaat!? :)

"Thanks so much for coming, have a safe trip home." ~Chet, saying goodbye to Karli's grandma at their wedding
"I'm still not sure about this." -her grandma, pointing at him and Karli
...I know that's terrible, but I gotta say, it's also pretty funny.  I can just picture Chet smiling and gritting his teeth saying, "Okaaaay, have a nice niiight." LOL

Me:  "If you could spend one hour with any celebrity, dead or alive, who would it be?"
Jeff:  "I would pick Conan O'Brien."
Chet:  "August 9th:  The day Jeff became dead to me." lol

"We had a conversation about skiing while we had pizza the other night.  However, ___ was in the conversation, but he is not invited...  This is a very exclusive thing."  ~Chet

Discussing whether we'd rather live with no arms or no legs...
Jeff:  "Plus, those blade things -- those are kind of in right now!"
Chet:  "Yeaaah.  People are just lopping off their legs left and right."

"Would anybody like some blackberries or raw cookie dough!?"  Chet, bringing out the dessert at their house :)

"Okay, so do you all understand the premise of The Golden Girls?"  ~Jeff
"Just that it's four old women living together?"  ~Me
"Ding, ding, ding, ding!"  ~Chet

One morning, instead of going to work out, we Wikipedia'd all the Golden Girls and how they died.  ~Chet

At the gym on the morning of Chet's wedding:
Man, you're getting married today.  I'm so happy for you guys.  This is gonna be such a hugechange in your life.  ~Jeff
"I will remember you..."  ~Sarah McLaughlin song starting on the radio :)

You look really sad.  ~Chet, looking at the picture of Jeff
Lindsey, will you take another one?  I look sad here.  ~Jeff
I was just thinking that!!  ~Chet
Umm... you said it.  ~Jeff  :)

I really like the brown.  ~Chet, about Jessie's b-day card
Yeah, I figured it was very manly.  ~Jessie
Yeah.  Matches my personality!  ~Chet :)

Here's what I'm wondering - where are all these people normally in Tulsa on a Friday night!?  ~Jeff, at the outdoor concert
Probably smoking pot, braiding their hair, and NOT showering!  ~Chet, totally deadpan

What's your favorite genre of movie, Chet?  I know you like Seabiscuit.  ~Jeff
Yeah, horses and rom coms - that's all me!  I love a good love story!  ~Chet =)

Did you know packs of candles only go up to 24!?  What about people who are turning 25!!?  ~Chettles

(We solved that dilemma with the star candle that night...)

His wish-making face in the above collage and the one below from this year makes me really happy! lol  I hope they all come true! =)

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY, CHET LEE!!!  

Random fun fact:  I found your birthday in the Bible during my daily readings this year.
Sad fact:  It's the day the Israelites were captured by Babylon. lol
"Two and a half years later, on July 18, the Babylonians broke through the wall, and the city fell." -Jeremiah 39:2

(Mine isn't much better, the day God sent the flood to destroy almost everything:)

"When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky."-Genesis 7:11

Anyway, just thought I'd throw that in. lol  

Thanks for being one of my closest and most loyal and dependable friends, as well as one of the funniest guys I know! =)  I have so many fun memories with you and I look forward to more in the future!  You will always be one of my very favorite people, and I hope you have a fantastic 30th birthday and an awesome new decade ahead!! ❤